r
glory of God;" and thus he continued, "It is our pleasure that the
order brought to M. de Baisemeaux de Montlezun, governor, for the
king, of the castle of the Bastille, he held by him good and
effectual, and be immediately carried into operation.

"(Signed) D'HERBLAY,
"General of the Order, by the grace of God."

Baisemeaux was so profoundly astonished that his features remained
contracted, his lips parted, and his eyes fixed. He did not move an
inch, nor articulate a sound. Nothing could be heard in that large
chamber but the buzzing of a little moth, which was fluttering about the
candles. Aramis, without even deigning to look at the man whom he had
reduced to so miserable a condition, drew from his pocket a small case
of black wax; he sealed the letter, and stamped it with a seal suspended
at his breast, beneath his doublet, and when the operation was
concluded, presented--still in silence--the missive to M. de Baisemeaux.
The latter, whose hands trembled in a manner to excite pity, turned a
dull and meaningless gaze upon the letter. A last gleam of feeling
played over his features, and he fell, as if thunderstruck, on a chair.

"Come, come," said Aramis, after a long silence, during which the
governor of the Bastille had slowly recovered his senses, "do not lead me
to believe, dear Baisemeaux, that the presence of the general of the
Order is as terrible as His, and that men die merely from having seen
Him. Take courage, rouse yourself; give me your hand, and obey."

Baisemeaux, reassured, if not satisfied, obeyed, kissed Aramis' hand,
and rose. "Immediately?" he murmured.

"Oh, there is no pressing haste, my host; take your place again, and do
the honors over this beautiful dessert."

"Monseigneur, I shall never recover such a shock as this; I who have
laughed, who have jested with you! I who have dared to treat you on a
footing of equality!"

"Say nothing about it, old comrade," replied the bishop, who perceived
how strained the cord was, and how dangerous it would have been to break
it; "say nothing about it. Let us each live in our own way: to you, my
protection and my friendship; to me, your obedience. Having exactly
fulfilled these two requirements, let us live happily."

Baisemeaux reflected; he perceived, at a glance, the consequences of
this withdrawal of a prisoner by means of a forged order; and, putting
in the scale the guarantee offe